Gordon Bonnyman is co-founder of the Tennessee Justice Center, a non-profit public interest law firm serving vulnerable Tennesseans in cases involving healthcare and individual clients, many of whom reside in rural areas. Gordon has represented thousands of individual clients, and has written and lectured extensively on health policy. He has testified before Congress, argued before the Supreme Court and advised governors and legislators in several states concerning issues of health access and healthcare financing.
“It’s been a tremendous privilege to serve families that deal with just terrible misfortune, and in many cases, injustice. And the clients I serve have impressed me with their courage and their generosity of spirit, and it’s just been a great blessing. I feel like I get more from it than I put into it.”
Prior to co-founding Tennessee Justice Center, Gordon began working with the Legal Aid Society in Nashville, and has been practicing law since 1972. The Tennessee Justice Center stemmed from a Congressional action 21 years ago that prevented organizations who receive federal funding, such as the Legal Aid Society, from doing several things, including class action lawsuits or advocating on behalf of migrant workers or others who receive public assistance. This action left many vulnerable people, many of whom reside in rural America, without legal representation. As a result, the privately funded Tennessee Justice Center, along with several other independent firms throughout the country, were founded to support vulnerable populations and hold public institutions accountable.